


Everything We've Built

by elfin (crazylittleelf)



Category: Fringe
Genre: Gen, Kid Fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-01-24
Updated: 2013-01-24
Packaged: 2017-11-26 18:07:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 705
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/652985
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crazylittleelf/pseuds/elfin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A life over there.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Everything We've Built

Trevor Lee-Dunham is four years old when they visit Boston for the reopening of the Zakim Bunker Hill bridge. They get up early - early enough that it's still dark outside - and he yawns while he gets dressed. He yarns some more when his mommy helps him tie his shoes and he falls asleep in the car.

It's bright and sunny when they get there, and they have to park a long way away because it's really crowded. His daddy says they could park closer but mommy doesn't want to abuse her authority. Trevor says the words in his head because mommy and daddy say them a lot and sometimes they're joking and sometimes they're not. This time they're joking, he's pretty sure. Then mommy says they've been in the car for hours and exercise won't kill any of them and she looks at daddy the way she does when she says that someone should take the trash out and she means that daddy should do it.

Daddy just laughs.

Trevor wiggles out of his daddy's arms and runs ahead of them.

"Not too far," mommy says, and he turns back to look at her. His parents are holding hands - they always hold hands - and he runs between them, catching himself on the bridge of their arms and they swing him into the air. He giggles and they do it again, again and again, all the way to the park where there are chairs and a lot of people. Behind the chairs and the people towers soar into the sky with delicate lines sweeping from each one.

"Daddy, what's that?"

"That's the bridge. It used to be broken, but they fixed it."

Trevor turns to look at his daddy. "Who fixed it?"

"Um." Daddy frowns and looks at mommy, but she's talking to Secretary Bishop and the other people she works with. "The people who fix bridges, I guess. Engineers, probably."

Trevor says, "Engineers," carefully and looks at the bridge again.

"Hey," mommy says, and she crouches down so she can look at him without bending over. He knows that means it's important. "So we're gonna sit up there," and she points to a place that's higher up and there's a bunch of microphones, "and _you're_ gonna have to sit sill, okay."

Trevor nods and asks, "Where does the bridge go?"

"It goes from one side of the river to the other, so people can get to work without getting wet." His mommy smiles and Trevor smiles back.

"Can we go on the bridge?"

She nods and says, "After the speeches and stuff. There's a place where people can walk on it now."

Trevor sits in his chair, twisted around so he can see the bridge behind them. He can see it reflected in the water below it, too. He sort of listens to the people talking, then he really does listen to mommy talking, then everyone claps and Trevor tugs on his daddy's hand.

"Can we go now?"

They walk along the river and there are a lot of people. Trevor holds him mommy's hand and they get to a ramp that spirals around and around. When they get to the top they're on a sidewalk on the bridge. Daddy picks him up, and he can see the river now, and the boats on it and farther away another bridge. He looks up along the cables, and up and up and up to the tower and the bright blue sky behind it.

"Daddy, can I have one?"

"Have one of what?"

"A bridge. Can I have a bridge?"

His daddy is looking at him intently. So is his mommy. They're looking at him like he's done something wrong. Trevor thinks.

" _Please_ can I have a bridge." He remembers the discussions about puppies and horses and lions. "I'll take care of it, I promise."

His mommy is blinking a lot. Daddy hugs him really tight and says, "I'm not sure we've got enough room for a bridge, but we'll see what we can do." His mommy leans close and hugs both of them, and Trevor wraps his arms around her neck. She carries him back to the park, and he watches the bridge over her shoulder.


End file.
